Originally from Edmonton, then based in Montreal, and currently in transit, L.A. Foster aka Lesley Ann Foster has recently released her 2 new tracks, “Damn Love”/ “New Life“.
“Damn Love” and “New Life” are songs that reflect the uncertainty and hope that life during the pandemic has brought. “Damn Love” speaks to the chaotic state of the world that we are living in. Despite this chaos, Foster sing, “I don’t want to stop / No I’ve got / So much damn love.” That amidst the uncertainty we cannot lose our capacity to love. It’s a sort of romantic approach to saying, “It’s all a mess so we might as well love each other”.
“Damn love is a song about that, what’s next, especially considering what we’ve all just been through with the pandemic. It’s a big mess but there’s so much damn love….we are very resilient us humans, and we are reckoning with some much… What will we make out of this?”
The video is made up of shots Foster took from her travels and tours in Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paris, Barcelona, U.K, and Montreal. A sort of video diary in hommage to life pre-pandemic.
On the B-side is “New Life”, a song about dealing with addiction and the darkness it carries and also the possibility it offers. It’s about navigating the journey and me asking ourselves if love could be possible while negotiating all of these factors. It’s hard to be open to love when you are in the process of healing. And ultimately the choice is about facing the darkness to create a new life, Foster sings; “Working out how this started / Working out how this ends / Running into the darkness to new life / new life“.
L.A. Foster is currently working with her long-time collaborator Stephen Ramsay (Young Galaxy) the duo will release their first full-length record in 2022.
Check out the video for “Damn Love” below, and find out more about L.A. Foster via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello! My name is Lesley Ann Foster aka L.A. FOSTER. I’ve been playing music professionally for close to ten years as a DJ, singer, and then as a producer. I have been Montreal-based but currently, I’m in transit.
Tell us a bit about your music and writing style
I lived in Montreal for 15 years going back and forth to Buenos Aires. The music I was exposed to while living in South America has definitely influenced the percussive elements in my earlier works. Montreal’s party and dance scene has definitely left a mark on the tunes I create, there’s always a dance element even if on the slightly sad side. Now I am fully collaborating with producer Stephen Ramsay of Young Galaxy, these tracks are a true collaboration and reflection of working together for the past 5 years.
How have you been keeping creative during the Pandemic?
I have been doing a Ph.D. with a focus on research-creation methodologies so I have been exploring different artistic outputs within academia. It’s been a real trip and learning experience. So I’m definitely expanding myself as an artist, I’m not just making music, I’m making visual abstract representations and performative works with actors and soundpieces I create. I’m not quite ready to reveal everything quite yet but it’s been super exciting and there’s A LOT to come.
If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?
I’d have to go with Damn Love as there is something quite perfect about the track and what we are currently experiencing. Everything is very messed up but love remains, what will we do with this situation we’re in?
Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?
There is a long list but here’s a very short list:
JAY KAEEEEE. Janette King! What a beautiful artist and human! Go get her debut record NOW! I’m a big fan of Jessy Lanza as well. Scott Hardware! What an incredible musician and sweet human! Deidre will hypnotize you.